You’ve cut carbs. You’ve skipped breakfast. You’ve even tried pushing lunch back to 2pm in hopes that this would finally get your blood sugar down.

And maybe at first… it seemed like it was working. But now you’re tired. Cranky. Craving sugar again. And your glucose monitor is starting to tick up—despite the fact that you’re barely eating.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Intermittent fasting (IF) has become one of the most popular “hacks” for weight loss and blood sugar control in recent years. And while it can offer powerful benefits for people with Type 2 Diabetes…

It’s not a magic fix. And when done without the right structure or support—it can actually make things worse. So, how do you know if fasting is helping or hurting? Let’s break it down.

What Really Does Intermittent Fasting Mean?

At its core, intermittent fasting is simply the practice of alternating between periods of eating and not eating.

While there are a number of ways to fast, some of the more popular methods include:

• 16:8 – Fast for 16 hours, eat all meals within an 8-hour window
• 18:6 or OMAD (One Meal A Day) – Longer fasts with shorter eating windows
• Alternate-Day Fasting – Eat normally one day, fast or significantly reduce calories the next
  

Giving Your Digestive System a Break Matters More Than You Think

When done right, intermittent fasting gives your body something it rarely gets these days:
a break from digestion. And that break isn’t just about skipping calories—it’s about giving your body a chance to reprioritize.

Digestion is one of the most complex, energy-intensive processes your body performs. From the moment you eat, your system goes into overdrive: breaking down food, producing enzymes, regulating hormones, transporting nutrients, filtering waste, and balancing blood sugar levels. It’s a full-body event involving your brain, pancreas, stomach, liver, intestines, and more.

In fact, digestion demands so much energy that your body often has to delay or pause other equally important jobs—like:

• Cellular regeneration
• Hormonal balancing
• Detoxification and waste removal
• Repairing damaged tissue
• Immune response and inflammation control

When you’re constantly snacking, grazing, or eating every 2–3 hours (even “healthy” foods), your body never gets the chance to shift focus. It stays locked in digestion mode—and that comes at a cost.

This is why intermittent fasting can be so powerful. With longer gaps between meals, your body can finally switch gears and enter what’s known as the “fasted state.” This is when internal systems begin prioritizing cellular repair, removing damaged cells, and restoring metabolic balance.

Think of it like your body’s night shift crew finally getting the chance to come in and clean house—because the daytime shift (digestion) has finally clocked out.

The Real Benefits of Fasting for Blood Sugar & Inflammation

If tailored to your unique biology and lifestyle, intermittent fasting can:

• Improve insulin sensitivity (so your body uses sugar more efficiently)
• Lower fasting blood sugar levels
• Promote fat loss (especially dangerous visceral fat around the organs)
• Reduce chronic inflammation that contributes to long-term damage
• Trigger autophagy – a cellular process that clears out damaged cells and boosts overall regeneration

Sounds great, right? It is—but only when it’s done strategically. What most people don’t realize is that intermittent fasting puts a certain amount of stress on the body.

And if your system is already stressed—from poor sleep, unbalanced hormones, nutritional deficiencies, or advanced insulin resistance—extended fasting may only add fuel to the fire.

Here are some common signs you’re overdoing it:

• You feel exhausted or lightheaded most of the day
• You crash hard mid-afternoon
• You experience intense cravings or end up binge eating during your eating window
• Your sleep is getting worse, not better
• Your blood sugar spikes instead of stabilizing

Why does this happen? Because extreme or prolonged fasting can trigger a cortisol response (your body’s stress hormone), which raises blood sugar as part of the “fight or flight” response. Even if you haven’t eaten, you may still see your numbers jump.

So… Should You Try Intermittent Fasting If You Have Type 2 Diabetes?

In short: maybe. But only if you do it with a plan. Because the truth is, not everyone is in the right place to fast—especially if:

• Your blood sugar is still unstable
• You’re relying heavily on medications to manage symptoms
• You’re under a lot of stress or sleeping poorly
• You’re eating nutritionally poor meals during your feeding window

Intermittent fasting isn’t about eating less. It’s about eating smarter—at the right times, in the right balance, with the right support.

The Bottom Line: Fasting Should Fit You, Not the Trend

If you’re using fasting as a tool to improve your blood sugar, but not seeing results—or worse, feeling worse—it might be time to pause.

Your body is speaking. And the truth is: no amount of skipping meals will fix insulin resistance if your cells are already overwhelmed.

What does work? A custom fasting and nutrition plan that takes into account your lab data, your stress levels, your daily routine, and where your body is right now.

That’s what we do here. Because reversing Type 2 Diabetes isn’t just about willpower or discipline—it’s about strategy.

Ready to stop guessing and start healing? If you’ve been experimenting with fasting and want to know what actually works for your body, book a consultation with Dr. Shumard and get a personalized plan that supports you—not just your glucose readings.

Your blood sugar can stabilize. Your energy can come back. And fasting can finally work for you—not against you.